Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined eight of her Senate colleagues in sending letters to 22 major energy, water, and broadband utility companies urging them to avoid imposing service shutoffs and other penalties for late or missed payments on federal government employees who are not receiving pay during the government...

Sen. Hirono: “Frankly, Republicans can end the government shutdown today if they agree to restore health care to the American people.” ~ Without an extension of ACA tax credits, average out-of-pocket premium costs for a family of four in Hawaii are expected to increase by more than $500 a month ~ ~ Video of Senator Hirono’s floor speech can be...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted to pass the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the U.S. Senate, securing several key provisions for Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific region. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and 17 colleagues in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. The legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. “Federal...

Sen. Hirono: “What was once the Department of Justice has become the Department of Revenge and Corruption. Rather than pursuing cases without fear or favor, this DOJ seeks to favor the President’s friends and instill fear in his alleged enemies.” ~ Video of Sen. Hirono’s question line can be found here ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie...

Sen. Hirono: “If this Administration is successful in eliminating the USGS EMA, the costs will far exceed any short-term savings—eroding our global leadership in climate research and our ability to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to environmental threats.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and 30 colleagues in the Senate in introducing the Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act, legislation to secure back pay for the thousands of federal contract workers who face furloughs and missed paychecks when the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement after Republicans shut down the federal government by refusing to negotiate a bipartisan funding bill. Republicans’ shut down comes as new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that health care premiums will more than double for millions of...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), both members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, along with Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL) in reintroducing legislation that would improve Veterans’ access to contraception and increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness for contraceptive...

Lawmakers: “Using taxpayer funds to refund January 6 insurrectionists would be an illegal and corrupt abuse of the justice system.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and six colleagues in demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) abandon...

~ In fiscal year 2025, the Impact Aid Program provided funding to support approx. 1,100 school districts serving 8 million students across the country ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the 75th anniversary of the Impact Aid Program, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced a resolution recognizing the importance of the...

Senators: “For an administration obsessed with rooting out waste, this abrupt, time and resource-intensive meeting of our military’s top commanders, all of whom have earned their positions through superior performance over decades of service, to reportedly hear you, the least qualified Secretary of Defense in living memory, lecture about military...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and 40 Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern and demanding an explanation over the State Department’s decision last month to suspend the issuance of temporary medical and humanitarian visas for civilians...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda (D-HI) led the rest of the Hawaii Congressional Delegation including Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Representative Ed Case (D-HI), in introducing the Tropical Plant Health Initiative Act. This legislation would expand research and grant funding opportunities...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and U.S. Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA) and Don Bacon (R-NE) introduced the Protect Adoptees and American Families Act, legislation that would grant U.S. citizenship to international adoptees who were legally adopted in the U.S. as children but lack citizenship...

~ While the Trump Administration cuts funding for Minority Serving Institutions, Members of Congress recognize the importance of AANAPISIs in expanding access to higher education for all ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 13 of her Senate colleagues in reintroducing a resolution designating September 22-28, 2025 as Asian...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and nine colleagues in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, urging the agency to reverse course on the elimination of federal standards for greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and medium and heavy-duty...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and 17 colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing September 20, 2025, as “National LGBTQ+ Servicemembers and Veterans Day.” This day serves as a reminder of the resilience and courage demonstrated by LGBTQ+ individuals who have served our nation. This...

~ Lawmakers’ call follows report funding VA is failing to comply with Jason’s Law since 2019 ~ WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and seven colleagues in demanding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) strengthen compliance with Jason’s Law and improve the VA’s opioid prescribing practices...

Senators: “Since May, President Trump and his family have increased their financial ties to Binance through their company, World Liberty Financial… These reports make it more important than ever that the public understand the Trump Administration’s interactions with, and relationship to, Binance and its employees.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator...